Thursday July 12, 2007 1:28 pm

Wakumaru Becomes First Robotic Temp

Here’s more evidence that Sci-fi is creeping into the realm of fact. Mitsubishi put its robotic receptionist Wakamaru up for hire and the Japanese temporary People Staff Agency took the bot as a client. Standing 3 feet, 3-inches and weighing 66 lb., the robot rolls around on wheels and can recognize individuals, perform simple tasks, and has a 10,000 word vocabulary for telling people that the boss is busy. It will even sing songs to those waiting to be seen. Wakamaru demands payment of up to 120,000 Yen (~$1,000.00) a day, or 3 million yen a year ($25,000.00,) making us think that it’s time to get Rosie to ask George Jetson for a raise.